Our commitment to quality journalism

We've introduced metered access to AUTOSPORT which will ensure that the majority of our visitors can continue to view the site for free. But we think that is worth a small investment from those who use it most, so that we can continue to send the leading experts in their field to motor racing paddocks all over the world to break the latest news and produce the most compelling interviews and race reports.

Every visitor gets 15 free page views per month. Once you reach the limit you can register to get 30 views or choose one of our value-for-money subscription packages to continue viewing and to get additional access to a range of features including:

Hamilton: Alonso 'sour' over poor result

Lewis Hamilton has accused Fernando Alonso of sour grapes over the safety car controversy that has overshadowed the European Grand Prix.

Alonso and his Ferrari team have been left furious that Hamilton was able to effectively escape without punishment for overtaking the safety car, after it had been called out for Mark Weber's crash.

Alonso and Ferrari believe delays by the FIA in handing Hamilton the punishment allowed the Briton to build up enough of a cushion over his nearest car to take a drive-through penalty without losing a place.

AUTOSPORT understands, however, that the delays were caused simply by the FIA getting hold of timing data, aerial film footage and transponder location information to be 100 per cent sure that Hamilton had definitely passed the safety car before the line.

Furthermore, the decision to hold Alonso and Massa behind the safety car for half the lap that has upset them even more, was purely because the FIA wanted to protect the medical car - which had been rushing to Webber's aid following his accident.

Quoted by the Press Association on Tuesday, Hamilton was asked whether Alonso's moaning was a simple case of sour grapes.

"Yeah," said Hamilton. "I even saw him overtaken by a Sauber [Kamui Kobayashi] on the big screen. It's very unlike him to be overtaken by a Sauber so he must have been completely in another world. But I don't understand why I affected his race so much.

"Everyone has a right to their opinion, and he must be disappointed with his own result, but I didn't do anything to him."

With rival teams not backing Ferrari's angry stance, Hamilton has even defended the role of the stewards this year - who have shown themselves more willing to let drivers compete rather than rush in to punish them harshly for indiscretions.

"The FIA are doing an incredible job because they are allowing us to race this year," he said.

Hamilton's stance will do little to calm Ferrari down, whose president Luca di Montezemolo said on Monday that the situation was 'unacceptable'.

"The result of yesterday's race was misrepresentative," di Montezemolo said on Ferrari's website. "Ferrari, which showed itself to be competitive in the European Grand Prix, paid a price that was too high for respecting the rules.

"Meanwhile those who didn't follow the rules were penalised by the race officials in a way that was less severe than the damage suffered by those who did respect them.

"That is a very serious and unacceptable event that creates dangerous precedents, throwing a shadow over the credibility of Formula 1."